FOT Forum

FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 12:40:46 PM

Title: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 12:40:46 PM
so, we're in the middle of day 2 of the latest ice storm in Oklahoma and it looks like we could be in for another night or two of ice.  Our heater went out Friday, but it was a pretty simple fix.  I'm lucky it was, because it's been running constantly and our living room stays at about 68 degrees.

Luckily we still have power (there are an estimated 120,000 households that don't) and we have a natural gas heater in our living room that we can fire up if the power goes out.

The one thing that really worries me is our rickety old garage.  Our electric meter is mounted on it and the natural gas feed for the house is routed through it (genius design).  Our neighbors have some trees looming close and the garage is on it's last leg as it is.

Oh well, I think I'm going to brave the ice to go take some pictures this afternoon after I leave work.  We have a crate myrtle that is about 15' tall and the top branches are literally touching the ground.

I'm so sick of shitty weather.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: buffcoat on December 10, 2007, 02:00:19 PM
It is literally 76 degrees in Durham, North Carolina.  I ate lunch outside.


Of course, we have 52 days of water left, and that's it, baby.  But it was a good run.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Matt on December 10, 2007, 02:13:49 PM
Well, we're doing fine in Fayetteville, AR.

Hope things get better soon. Ice storms are the pits.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Beth on December 10, 2007, 02:39:02 PM
you should take some pictures and post them andy. ice storms suck, but they make everything sparkle, especially early in the morning and at dusk.

all i have to report up here in Cambridge, NY is cold and snow cold and snow. i really like the winter, but i hate the heating bills. i also go around smelling like a woodstove all day, which sounds pleasant, but is actually pretty repulsive. i'm covered in ash right now because we have a floo-less stove that blows smoke in your face until you get it started.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Sarah on December 10, 2007, 02:41:39 PM
our living room stays at about 68 degrees.

How can you stand the heat?
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 03:05:19 PM
I am going to go take some pics when my camera battery finishes charging.  Luckily we still have power.  The garage is still standing, but only because it's supporting a limb (if the limb fell, it would have taken down the garage.)

Our neighborhood looks like a war zone.  A bunch of 60+ year old trees (which are rare around here) are totally destroyed.

I'll post pics later.

Here's the bad news:
(http://kfor.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/7day.jpg)

Although, channel 4 usually go crazy with the weather forecasts.

Also, it's eery hearing limbs break under the weight of the ice.  I've already heard 2 and I've only been home for 15 minutes.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 03:07:00 PM
see, I told you:
(http://static.newsok.biz/sites/newsok/images/news9/7day_image.jpg)
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 03:08:35 PM
here's NOAA (the only one I really listen to.)
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Oklahoma+City&state=OK&site=OUN&textField1=35.4671&textField2=-97.5135&e=0
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Tim K in DC on December 10, 2007, 03:08:42 PM
Things are a bit glazed over here in Boston; sidewalks have been treacherous and last night, even though we've had snow a few times already, was the first time that I saw the sand trucks out on the roads. I know it's New England (I've lived in RI and MA all my life) and this is par for the course this time of year, but winter is already in my hate pit. 
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: erika on December 10, 2007, 03:20:27 PM
Luckily we still have power.  The garage is still standing, but only because it's supporting a limb (if the limb fell, it would have taken down the garage.)

:(

Do you have any backup power or any options if your power goes out?

Hopefully the little bout of warmer weather (i.e. above freezing) will save you and the trees a little pain... hang in there.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Sarah on December 10, 2007, 03:34:23 PM
At least you have backup heat (and one good thing about ice storms is that they happen when it's warmer out, so it's easier to keep a place heated).  Do you have access to water?  When the power was out here for a week once (gee, almost ten years ago now), having water made masses of difference.  People who had wells suffered, since their pumps didn't work; since I live in town, I have running water, and my life was much easier.  That I have a gas stove helped enormously, too.

I sympathize hugely.  As the years go by, I become more and more intolerant of disruptions from weather.  In my youth, I used to find them exciting, now they're just tiresome and worrying.  I hope that limb doesn't take your garage down.

Good luck, Andy!

Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Gilly on December 10, 2007, 03:49:06 PM
It's actually starting to warm up here in MN after a few days of -16 windchills and about a foot of snow last week. By warm up I mean 20-ish.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 04:17:31 PM
yeah, I just walked the neighborhood and we are in about as good a shape as anyone.  We still seem to have all our trees, although there are two thirty foot oaks up front that look like the upper branches are split.  One of my buddies lives down the street from me and a tree in his front yard is totally destroyed.

I'm still trying to get used to hearing trees crack as they cave under the weight.  I'll post pictures as soon as I can find my card reader.

This shit is bad around here because no one knows how to deal with it.  It happens so infrequently (or used to) that people panic and have no plans on how to deal with it.  Last year we had 4 of these ice storms, but I don't think any of them were as bad as this one.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 10, 2007, 07:04:57 PM
14 dead, 1/3 of the states 3.6 million residents are without power. 7 to 10 days to get power back up in places.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Laurie on December 11, 2007, 10:34:13 AM
A cold front's coming in on Sunday. It's going to go from the low 80s (though it feels like the 90s with the sun!) to the low-mid 70s!

(Is this why people want to throw me in the hate pit?)
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: buffcoat on December 11, 2007, 10:41:36 AM
A cold front's coming in on Sunday. It's going to go from the low 80s (though it feels like the 90s with the sun!) to the low-mid 70s!

(Is this why people want to throw me in the hate pit?)


Keep guessing!






















j/k
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 11, 2007, 02:09:05 PM
we've developed one major leak in the old house, so I spent all morning shoveling ice off the balcony (some of it during a ice thunderstorm)

all in all, it's not  that bad for us, but being a worrier, I'm thinking that I need to sell this house and buy a new one.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Sascha on December 12, 2007, 12:50:15 AM
Woo-hoo!  We just got power back!  We hadn't had it, save for two hours yesterday afternoon, since early Monday morning.  I heard that something close to one million people in Oklahoma didn't have power-- a third of all households.  Luckily, we have gas heat, so we weren't freezing, but we couldn't cook at all since we have an electric range (bane of my existence). 

Ice storms can find a snug little place in the bottom of my hate pit. (Though as I wrote that I remembered that tomorrow will be the third day I don't have to go to work this week.  Good job, ice storms!  But since I'll make those up at the end of the school year, you're still in the hate pit, suckers!)
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Josh on December 13, 2007, 10:31:50 AM
Has it warmed up? How are you holding up Andy?
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Laurie on December 13, 2007, 11:18:01 AM
I heard Teenneessee got hit with some ice storms, too. DAVE, are you okay??
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: scotttsss on December 13, 2007, 02:22:28 PM
Has it warmed up? How are you holding up Andy?

It's a lot better now...  Andy said he lives about 7 miles from me when I sent him my address for secret santa.  If his power didn't go out, he, like me, was lucky.  It was out all over the city and state.  The tree in my back yard was literally touching the ground, AROUND the power line to our house, but the branches didn't break the line.  Amazingly, the power stayed on...  Other trees in my neighborhood look like they exploded!  But on the way to work on my bicycle the other day, I found myself sliding through the intersection on my hip...no cars we coming, it was 5:45 am... but I've put the studded tires on my bike now.  All is well! 
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Gilly on December 13, 2007, 06:09:35 PM
I heard Teenneessee got hit with some ice storms, too. DAVE, are you okay??

Dave's in Kentucky. Get a clue.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: Andy on December 14, 2007, 06:33:40 PM
I got my card reader back today, so I should be able to post some pics soon.

We were really lucky and never lost power.  Besides on semi-major leak and two trees that will lose their top third or so, we had no issues due to the ice storm.

Major snowstorm is allegedly coming in tonight, though.  And it's getting colder.
Title: Re: Ice storm in the Midwest.
Post by: dave from knoxville on February 17, 2008, 06:48:35 PM
I heard Teenneessee got hit with some ice storms, too. DAVE, are you okay??

No ice here in EAST TENNESSEE. Sheesh.